Page 36 of A Wish Upon an Earl
Sarah shifted.“Jack is nowhere to be found either.”
That made Camilla’s brows rise.“If both men are missing, it’s logical to assume that they are together.”
It would be difficult to out-logic Camilla.“It’s also possible that they are both late for different reasons.”
“Possible,” Camilla shrugged.“But not probable.”
Sarah looked over at her friend.“And what do you think they’re doing together?”
“I couldn’t say.”Camilla tapped her chin.“We know it must be important.What would be very important to both of them?”Then she looked at Sarah with a grin.“Most likely you.”
Sarah took a half step back.“If it involved me, then they’d be here.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.”Camilla’s grin was knowing.As though she’d solved a complicated puzzle.
“What are we discussing?”Rose asked as she joined them.
Rose, who was looking suspiciously happy.Giddily so, in fact.This would have been a good turn of events if Sarah wasn’t quite so frustrated herself.
Sarah held in an exasperated sigh.“We’re talking, or not talking, about what Ash and Jack might be doing that they aren’t here.”
“Not talking?”Rose lifted her brows.“What does that mean?”
“It means Camilla knows something she isn’t telling me.”Sarah stood straighter as she gave Camilla the eye.
But Camilla only smiled.“I don’t actually know anything.I only hypothesized that whatever they are about, it involves Sarah.”
“That does make sense.”Rose nodded.“It’s their most common interest.”
“What about their twenty-year friendship?”Sarah asked.Why this conversation frustrated her so, she couldn’t exactly say, but her friends’ certainty in the face of her complete uncertainty was somewhat maddening.
“Exactly.They have all the time in the world to spend together.Only something of great importance would pull them away now.”
“Like Sarah,” Rose said as Aubrey joined them.
“Are we discussing how Jack has feelings for Sarah?”Aubrey asked.
Sarah’s stomach did a funny swishing as though she were on a boat.Why did it seem as though all of her friends understood something she didn’t?“How could you know that?”
All three of them gave her matching smiles of understanding.“You’re too close to it, that’s all.Anyone watching can see it’s as plain as…” Camilla started.
“A verse of Shakespeare,” Rose filled in.
“I don’t find Shakespeare all that clear,” Aubrey said with a shrug.
Camilla nodded.“I agree.I was going to say it’s as clear as a balanced equation.”
Sarah didn’t answer, her own thoughts too big for small talk.Were they correct?Did Jack have feelings for her—is that why he’d kissed her?She suddenly realized that not ever having had feelings for anyone else made her woefully unprepared to analyze Jack’s behavior.
The assembly made their way into the dining room, and Sarah was carried along with them.
“We lost Rose again,” Camilla added, her voice filled with amusement as Sarah focused back in on the conversation.
“What?”she asked, looking at her friends.“Lost Rose?”
“She’s been disappearing a great deal during this house party,” Aubrey said, leaning in with a loud stage whisper and giving Sarah a meaningful wink.“I do believe she has her own romance brewing.”
“Brewing is my department,” Camilla said, laughing at her own joke.“But yes.Aubrey is correct.There is definitely something afoot with Rose and that viscount.”
